Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune Reviewreports that Pirates right-hander A.J. Burnett threw a 40-pitch live batting practice session Saturday in camp, then “raised his arms in celebration” while walking off the field because he felt so good.

Burnett suffered an orbital bone fracture earlier this month while performing bunting drills. He underwent surgery, and was originally projected to miss 8-12 weeks of action. But there’s a chance the 35-year-old will beat that timetable altogether.

Saturday’s live BP session marked Burnett’s third time throwing off a mound since the injury.

“A big step,” Burnett told the Tribune-Review shortly after Saturday’s workout. “I wanted to open some eyes today, so, hopefully, they’ll see that I’m a little bit more ready than they thought. It was a good step in the right direction.”

Burnett was acquired from the Yankees in February for a couple of minor leaguers and cash considerations. He registered a 5.15 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 173/83 K/BB ratio in 190 1/3 innings last year for New York.

A lot of teams do funny promo videos during spring training. The Seattle Mariners have led the league in this category for years now, with their marketing and p.r. folks producing and a lot of game and sometimes hammy players starring in some excellent clips. They’re doing them again this year, if you’re curious.

The Milwaukee Brewers have hopped on the humor train in 2018, and their latest entry in this category of commercials is excellent. It’s their riff on “The Sandlot.”

The biggest difference: Smalls really could kill you in this one. Brett Phillips is a lot more jacked than the kid who played Scotty in the original was.